seraphim

In a vision described in the Book of Isaiah 6:3 (NABRE), the prophet encounters God and then is sent to prophesy to the people. Attending God’s throne are seraphim who cry out “Holy, holy, holy.” When we hear of seraphim now, we think of angels, but what exactly is the difference between a seraph and an angel?

The word angel comes from a Greek word meaning “messenger.” The word seraph (or seraphim in the plural) comes from a Hebrew root that means “serpent.”

In the twenty-first chapter of the book of Numbers (NABRE), the people speak against God and Moses, and God then sends serpents to punish them for complaining. In the Book of Isaiah, the word seraphim is descriptive of the angels who appear before God.

How does knowing that the beings before the throne of God look like serpents with wings change your view of the scene described in the book of Numbers? How do you suppose it is that these beings also are identified as a type of angel? What implications does this have on your understanding about the exchange between Eve and the serpent in the garden of Eden?

related topics: kingdom of heaven; sin

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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